Monday, December 08, 2008

Collecting dust...

I am a collector. There I said it. I admitted it on my blog for the world to see. My last post was about a cool collection I had. Vinyl. This post will definitely showcase some of my not so cool collections over the years.

Bags. As in shopping bags. The catch was that they had to be from different countries. My dad traveled some when I was a kid, and I always loved the bags the souvenirs came in. They were so interesting to me with their foreign writing. I have since gotten rid of those bags. I'm guessing I just trashed them at some point.

Hats. Lot of different kinds of hats and caps. I still have part of this collection. I saw it the other day when I was going through the boxes to be put in the attic. At the time I had no idea I would be writing this post so I didn't take a good look at it to see what was left. It made me smile though.

Within the hat collection there is a small sub-collection of old hats.

Now I didn't go out and purchase these old hats. They belonged to a great aunt of mine. When I was little I used to love to go to her house and try on all her hats. When she died my grandmother secured these 6 for me. Ahh...memories.

Buttons. Completely random buttons. I have no idea where some of them came from.

At the bottom left of this picture are some aluminum coin things that were stamped with sentiment and given to me by a friend. They were in the button collection bag as well.

Salt and Pepper Shakers

Please...I know. What in the world was I thinking? Where do I put these?

I also have 7 of these...

and 11 of these.

I've dabbled in stamps, rocks, Wizard of Oz figurines, and Santa Clauses over the years as well as other things I'm sure I'm not remembering.

Currently I am collecting books...classic children's literature as well as Newbery Award winners and honor books. I couldn't even begin to tell you how many books I have in boxes everywhere. I also have an ongoing collection of Nativity Scenes. There are four set up in my house and two more in a crate somewhere between Turkey and Texas.

18 comments:

The best way to collect is to disguise them as gifts for someone else so that person has the responsibility of taking care of your items. We started giving my dad a Santa Claus on Christmas Eve 21 years ago and are constantly on the look out for cool and interesting santa figurines. It's his job on Christmas eve to unpack and put out his santa collection and we get to enjoy it while we're there. Then he also gets to put it all away in January.

That is many collections. I have some collections too: stamps, coins, rocks (yes, I was a geo nerd when I was a kid), and also buttons. If I can find those buttons, I'd happily send them your way, if you want. I need to downsize my collections before I move for law school. I'll let you know if I find them.

I really enjoy seeing the collections of other people. They are always so interesting. I currently collect nothing, which is sad for me. I would like to say I collect COACH purses, but I think that is more of a sickness than a collection.

I can only think of 2 collections I've had. One was kaleidoscopes and the other was movie ticket stubs. I just tossed my ticket stubs when we moved this summer. And the kaleidoscopes are packed somewhere still. I had to put a stop to people buying them for me because I just didn't have anywhere to put them. I'm not a tchotchke (sp?) type person. The only ones I have now are a few from my mom.

That hat collection is very interesting for sure! I think you should do a post of pictures of you trying them on for us! Or maybe even the kids trying them on?

Have you considered the Caldecott Award-winning Invention of Hugo Cabret? I am not missing you in Turkey but I am missing you in Peru! Say hi to Brian, Erica, Will, Jacob and AG! If you get rid of the dust-collectors, you'll be an example to the rest of us, but will perhaps regret it later :)P.S. I can't underline the book title, so don't hold it against me!

I have a rule that if you don't use something for 6 months (but I don't throw a fit until 12 months), that it's time to throw it out. Those buttons would be history if I came across them!!! The salt/pepper shakers could probably stay, since they're a seasonal "decoaration" though.

mary beth - i agree! i need to find someone who collects old david winter houses and lladro bells so i can go enjoy them at their house!

tamara - you know...i totally missed ronald reagan. i can't imagine what better thing i had to do, but i didn't go. i did buy the button though! we used to have a bajillion christmas mugs before we moved to turkey. and that reminded me of another collection we have. starbucks mugs. that one is more brian's than mine.

sra - i know. too many! but i would love the buttons if you find them. that is one collection that is interesting to me!

sparkliesunshine - i found them interesting as well. i just don't want them all over my house anymore. the buttons all store away in a denim bag. that's good. and coach purses...yep...that's one expensive collection!

mamadallama - move ticket stubs. that would be interesting to look back on. kaleidoscopes...interesting! i love the hat collection. erica and ag are all about trying them on for pictures, but the boys aren't too keen on that idea!

heyjoe - well it is a sickness i think i am getting over. i have no desire to keep some of this stuff!

headless mom - i might have to look on ebay and see what i can find! i just have no desire to keep most of that stuff anymore!

sarah - i am the same way. i feel like i have outgrown some of this stuff which is funny to me since the ones i want to keep are the ones from when i was a kid...the hats and buttons. the rest...meh.

sara - i wouldn't dream of it! i love them!

la cousin - they were aunt lurlene's. i'm sure we played with them together at times! along with all the crocheted stuff in her rooms! oh...and the organ. i could play when the saints go marching in like nobody's business!

ms. morton - i haven't read that one! i haven't even been to a bookstore since i've been here! shocking really! the rest of the family went yesterday, and i stayed home and took a nap! currently i am keeping the dust collectors in a box. less to dust that way!

joe - well out of all the collections the buttons and hats are the only ones i really care to keep! no throwing them away. they are fun to look at! the houses and bells...well considering they all look the same i think i can do without them!

domestic goddess - elephants. nice. i'm glad you don't collect the live ones. that could make for some interesting days!

#2 - well i am slowly getting rid of my stuff. too much for me to even think about! and since i have lived without it for the past 7 years i have no desire to start living with it again! the hats are staying though. i love antiques and they fit right in!

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About Me

I'm Natalie. I was born in New Orleans and raised in Louisiana and Texas. I have a husband, Brian and four fabulous kids. We spent a few years working in Turkey (yes, the country), but we are currently back in Texas for a while.